Next-Gen Chevrolet Aveo Renamed Sonic

When Chevrolet’s new subcompact hits the streets in 2011, it will also come with a new name. No longer will Chevrolet’s smallest vehicle be called the Aveo. Instead, it will be known as the Sonic. The name illustrates the vehicle’s fun-to-drive nature, said Chris Perry, Chevy’s vice president of U.S. marketing.

We guess that’s a good reason, but we can’t stop conjuring images of Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog. In other parts of the world, outside the U.S. and Canada, the Sonic will still be called Aveo, which doesn’t jibe with GM’s stated intentions of using similar nameplates throughout the world. It will arrive at dealerships as a 2012 model year vehicle.

We saw the Aveo Sonic at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, which was longer and wider than the current model and more stylish. Tell us what you think of this new nameplate in the comments below.

Is it a perfect fit for a youth-oriented product, or does the name sound just a little too childish?